A digital imaging system that allows the user to select and mark objects with markers is disclosed. The digital imaging device tracks the position of the marked objects even when the marked objects are not in the field of view of the digital imaging system.
Legal claims defining the scope of protection, as filed with the USPTO.
1. A method comprising: displaying a first view of a scene; marking an object, displayed in the scene, with a marker; recording coordinates of the object in the first view of the scene; displaying a second view of the scene where the object is no longer visible, wherein the second view of the scene is subsequent to the first view of the scene; displaying a third view of the scene where the object is visible, wherein the third view of the scene is subsequent to the second view of the scene; remarking the displayed object with the marker in the third view; performing a correlation computation directly between the coordinates of the object in the first view of the scene and coordinates of the object in the third view of the scene to make a determination of a change in direction and/or distance relationships of the object in the third view of the scene relative to the first view of the scene; and using the distance and/or direction relationships to track the object in the first, second and third views that are screens-widths away from each other as the first view is panned to the second and third views.
2. The method of claim 1 where the object is no longer visible in the second view due to a change in the field of view of a device as the object between the first view of the scene and the second view of the scene.
3. The method of claim 1 where the object is no longer visible in the second view due to a movement of the object between the first view of the scene and the second view of the scene.
4. The method of claim 1 where a position of a second object is marked in the second view of the scene with a second marker, and the second marker is displayed when the second object is visible in a displayed view of the scene.
5. The method of claim 1 where the method is used in a digital camera.
6. The method of claim 1 where the marker is displayed as a set of square brackets that enclose the marked object.
7. The method of claim 1 where the scene is displayed on a viewfinder in a camera.
8. The method of claim 1 where the scene is displayed on a display on the back of a camera.
9. The method of claim 1 where the object is marked by centering the object in the display, and then activating a control.
10. The method of claim 1 further comprising: displaying a fourth view of the scene where the object is visible; remarking the displayed object with the marker in the fourth view; performing a correlation computation directly between the coordinates of the object in the third view of the scene and coordinates of the object in the fourth view of the scene to make a determination of a change in direction and/or distance of the object in the fourth view of the scene relative to the third view of the scene.
11. A method comprising: (a) taking a first frame of a scene representing a first field of view of a digital device; (b) taking a second frame of the scene representing a second field of view of the digital device where the object is no longer visible, wherein the second frame of the scene representing the second field of view of the digital device is subsequent to the first frame of the scene representing the first field of view of the digital device; (c) taking a third frame of the scene representing a third field of view of the digital device, wherein the third frame of the scene representing the third field of view of the digital device is subsequent to the second frame of the scene representing the second field of view of the digital device; (d) comparing the first frame and the third frame and generating a first displacement value representative of a difference between the first frame and the third frame; (e) processing data based on the first displacement value to determine the relative change between the first field of view and the third field of view; (f) displaying the first field of view of the scene; (g) marking an object displayed in the first field of the digital device for the first frame of view of the scene with a marker; (h) displaying the second field of view of the digital device for the second frame of the scene where the object is no longer visible; (i) tracking the position of the object relative to the first field of view and marking the object with a marker, in the display, when the object is visible in the third field of view; wherein the (i) tracking the position of the object comprises performing a correlation computation directly between coordinates of the object in the first field of view and coordinates of the object in the third field of view when the object is visible in the third field of view, to make a determination of a change in direction and/or distance relationships of the object in the third field of view relative to the first field of view; and wherein the distance and/or direction relationships is used to track the object in the first, second and third views that are screens-widths away from each other as the first view is panned to the second and third views.
12. The method of claim 11 further comprising: (j) taking another frame of the scene representing a current field of view of the digital device; (k) comparing the current frame with a previous frame and generating a current displacement value representative of a difference between the previous frame and the current frame; (l) processing data based on the current displacement value to determine the relative change between the previous field of view and the current field of view; (m) displaying the current field of view; (n) tracking the position of the object relative to the previous field of view and marking the object with a marker, in the display, when the object is visible in the current field of view; wherein the (n) tracking the position of the object comprises performing a correlation computation directly between coordinates of the object in the previous field of view and coordinates of the object in the current field of view when the object is visible in the current field of view, to make a determination of a change in direction and/or distance of the object in the current field of view relative to the previous field of view.
13. The method of claim 12 , further comprising: repeating steps (j) through (n).
14. The method of claim 11 further comprising: displaying the marker as a set of square brackets that enclose the marked object.
15. The method of claim 11 further comprising: displaying the scene on a viewfinder in a camera.
16. The method of claim 11 further comprising: displaying the scene on a display on the back of a camera.
17. A digital imaging device, comprising: an image sensor; a lens configured to focus a first view of a scene onto the image sensor; a display configured to display the first view of the scene; a processor configured to mark an object in the disprayed first view of the scene; the display configured to display a second view of the scene where the object is no longer visible, wherein the second view of the scene is subsequent to the first view of the scene; the display configured to display a third view of the scene where the object is visible, wherein the third view of the scene is subsequent to the second view of the scene; the processor configured to remark the object in the displayed third view with a marker; the processor configured to perform a correlation computation directly between coordinates of the object in the first view of the scene and coordinates of the object in the third view of the scene to make a determination of a change in direction and/or distance relationships of the object in the third view of the scene relative to the first view of the scene; and the processor configured to use the distance and/or direction relationships to track the object in the first, second and third views that are screens-widths away from each other as the first view is panned to the second and third views.
18. The digital imaging device of claim 17 where the object is no longer visible in the second view of the scene due to a change in the field of view of the digital imaging device.
19. The digital imaging device of claim 17 where the object is no longer visible in the second view of the scene due to a movement of the object.
20. A digital imaging device, comprising: an image sensor; a lens configured to focus a scene, within a field of view, onto the image sensor; a display configured to display the scene focused onto the image sensor; a control configured to allow user input into the digital imaging device; a processor configured to monitor the control; the processor configured to establish an initial frame of reference when detecting user input from the control; the processor configured to display a marker on the display at a predetermined location with respect to the initial frame of reference, wherein the predetermined location corresponds to an object; the processor configured to compare multiple views of the scene, captured by the image sensor, to track the movement of the digital imaging device with respect to the initial frame of reference, through performance of a correlation computation directly between coordinates of the predetermined location in the initial frame of reference and coordinates of the predetermined location within the field of view to make a determination of a change in direction and/or distance relationships of the digital imaging device in the field of view relative to the initial frame of reference, whereby the marker is displayed when the predetermined location is within the field of view of the digital imaging device; wherein the multiple views of the scene comprise first and third views of the scene where the object is visible; the display configured to display the first view of the scene where the object is visible; the processor configured to mark the object in the displayed first view of the scene with the marker; the display configured to display a second view of the scene where the object is no longer visible, wherein the second view of the scene is subsequent to the first view of the scene; the display configured to display the third view of the scene where the object is visible, wherein the third view of the scene is subsequent to the first view of the scene; the processor configured to remark the object in the displayed third view with the marker; and the processor configured to use the distance and/or direction relationships to track the object in the first, second and third views that are screens-widths away from each other as the first view is panned to the second and third views.
21. A digital imaging device comprising: a means for capturing an image of a scene, the image defined by a field of view of the digital imaging device; a means for displaying the image of the scene; a means for marking an object displayed in the scene; a means for establishing an initial frame of reference defined by a user-selected field of view through employment of recordation of coordinates of the object in the initial frame of reference; a means for comparing multiple fields of views to track a movement of the object and determine the position of the current field of view with respect to the initial frame of reference whereby the object is marked when the object is within the displayed field of view; wherein the means for comparing multiple fields of views comprises means for performing a correlation computation directly between the coordinates of the object in the initial frame of reference and coordinates of the object in the current field of view to make a determination of a change in direction and/or distance relationships of the object in the current field of view relative to the initial frame of reference; wherein the multiple fields of views comprises first and third fields of views where the object is visible; the means for displaying the image of the scene configured to display the first field of view where the object is visible; the means for marking the object displayed in the scene configured to mark the object in the displayed first field of view; the means for displaying the image of the scene configured to display a second field of view where the object is no longer visible, wherein the second field of view is subsequent to the first field of view; the display configured to display the third view where the object is visible, wherein the third field of view is subsequent to the second field of view; the means for marking the object displayed in the scene configured to mark the object in the displayed third field of view; and wherein the distance and/or direction relationships is used to track the object in the first, second and third views that are screens-widths away from each other as the first view is panned to the second and third views.
22. The digital imaging device of claim 21 further comprising: a means for establishing an updated frame of reference through employment of recordation of coordinates of the object in the current field of view; wherein the means for comparing multiple fields of views comprises means for performing a correlation computation directly between the coordinates of the object in the updated frame of reference and coordinates of the object in a subsequent field of view to make a determination of a change in direction and/or distance of the object in subsequent field of view relative to the updated frame of reference.
Cooperative Patent Classification codes for this invention. Click any code to explore related patents in that topic.
July 25, 2003
December 16, 2008
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